Usually when you think about cigars, you think about Central and South America, where premium cigars usually are made. If cigars are going to have a regional theme, usually it is going to reflect some aspect of South or Central American culture.

CAO Flathead V660 cigars are made in Nicaragua, but they are an exception to the rule. Thematically, they are designed with a box-press shape which is intended to hearken to the engine blocks in classic American hot rods. You will notice the same theme reflected in the stylish retro design of the red and white bands as well as in the packaging (which even includes a cool vintage-style pinup). It is the kind of clever branding you might mistake as a gimmick, but these are definitely not just “novelty” cigars.

The CAO MX2 Box Press sports a dark brown wrapper with a contemporary looking black and silver band along with a secondary band stating “Box-Press,” just in case you couldn’t feel or see the sharp box press on this cigar. There are some pretty big veins on this cigar which pop out from the rest of the wrapper. The wrapper also has a wrinkled look in some areas especially near the head of the cigar.

The cigar has a nice medium draw that produces thick billowing clouds of smoke. The burn line is slightly uneven and is rather thick and somewhat bubbly. The ash is a medium gray color and has just a bit of flowering, but held on quite well. The body is medium to full and the strength is average.

The CAO MX2 Box Press offers a light earthy core with heavy notes of chocolate and espresso. There is some slight pepper to this cigar but is balanced pretty nicely with the rest of the cigar. The flavors don’t change much throughout the cigar but overall very good flavors.

I’ve smoked plenty of the regular MX2’s and have not been overly impressed. This cigar however, is a winner. I’m not sure if it’s the blend with some different tobacco in it, or if it is the box press that gives it a different flavor profile, but the flavors are much more rich and pronounced.

We’ve heard it all before… limited edition cigars made from scarce materials. Then, a year later, they are still readily available, everywhere. But in the case of the new CAO Amazon Basin, its rarity is only part of the intrigue. It’s truly a cigar with a story to tell. I was lucky enough to get one of the last available boxes, and now, four cigars in, consider myself lucky indeed.

According to the official CAO statement, the Amazon Basin cigar “utilizes rare organic tobacco cultivated at small farms in remote regions of the Amazonian Rainforest. The tobacco called ‘Braganca’ is grown in virgin lands and is harvested just once every three years…the leaves are rolled by hand into tubes called ‘carottes’, and left to rest under high pressure. After six months of natural fermentation inside the carrotes, they are transported by canoe from the rainforest and delivered to our factory.” Wow, that’s quite a story! One interesting aspect of cigar smoking is how we experience exotic locales through the tobaccos we smoke. And the Amazonian Rainforest is about as exotic as it gets. If nothing else, smoking an Amazon Basin cigar is a curiosity. But what I’ve discovered is a cigar so unique; it actually lives up to the hype.

The CAO La Traviata Animado was released in 2009, and is a reincarnation of an old cigar line from over a hundred years ago. The fillers come from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in Pueblo Nuevo, favorite grounds for CAO. The Ecuadorian wrapper is a Habano from Ecuador. The name of the cigar line, “La Traviata,” is derived from the name of an opera by Giuseppe Verdi adapted from an Alexandre Dumas book. It’s a promising selection of tobacco leaves. Let’s see how the blend measures up.

Construction

CAO has long been known for its unique blends featuring small batch and specialty tobaccos to create new and interesting smoking experiences. Extreme, the newest line from CAO, features ligero fillers grown in Estelí and La Entrada. The wrapper is a deep brown Ecuadorian Habano ligero leaf. Concealing the majority of the wrapper leaf is a large black and orange band. Underneath the large band, the Ecuadorian Habano Ligero wrapper is dark and oily and smooth with a slightly mottled appearance. The length of the six-inch stick is plump and nicely rolled. There are no noticeable soft spots. The thick cap cuts cleanly using my Colibri V Cutter.

This is the first blend and cigar made under the CAO label since the brand was taken over by General Cigar. It is currently being manufactured in Honduras.

Appearance : The CAO Osa Sol has a Colorado shade wrapper with veins and an overall rustic look but it has tight seams and a nice sheen. As noted in the photos though, there were some construction issues that affected the overall appearance of the cigar. The colourful band is nice and refreshing but I could not take my eyes off the manufacturing flaws that were clearly visible.

The CAO La Traviata Favorito is a torpedo which was crafted to hearken back to the flavors of 19th century cigars. It features a Cameroon binder, Nicaraguan and Dominican filler, and a medium brown Ecuador Habano wrapper. Measuring 5 ½” with a 52 ring gauge, it is an oily cigar with a solid construction which offers an excellent draw, smooth burn, and tight ash. This cigar produces a lot of thick, aromatic smoke.

The flavors in the CAO La Traviata Favorito are mostly woodsy with some spicy overtones, and don’t morph a whole lot over the course of the smoke. There are some creamy moments in the middle, and a hint of floral sweetness near the end which add complexity. This is definitely an intense cigar which packs an almost full bodied experience, and at the modest price of under $5 USD each if bought by box, these are quite a good deal right now!

The Boss asked me one day through our regular communique via Twitter if I was interested in tracking down the CAO Sopranos "Soldier". I gladly jumped at the chance to review this target. CAO was the first brand of cigars I started smoking with regularity (the particular cigar I started with is quite popular - it's the Brazilia), so I was eager to attain this cigar and give it my full attention.